Leader Mark Carney and the Liberals have opted to stand by a candidate whose comments about a Conservative rival represent a serious “escalation in transnational repression.”

Calls are growing for Liberal Leader Mark Carney to remove Markham-Unionville MP Paul Chiang after he encouraged people to take conservative rival, Joe Tay, to the Chinese Consulate in Toronto, in exchange for a bounty on Tay for criticizing Beijing’s crackdown on Hong Kong.

In December, Hong Kong police announced a bounty of HK$1-million (approx. $184,000) for information leading to Mr. Tay’s arrest for allegedly violating a national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 that granted the mainland extensive new powers to punish critics and silence dissenters.

Born in Hong Kong, Mr. Tay is a Canadian citizen and democracy activist who has been targeted by Hong Kong authorities for drawing attention to ongoing civil rights violations in the territory through his YouTube channel, HongKongerStation.

Mr. Chiang’s controversial remarks originate from a January meeting with Chinese-language journalists where he allegedly said Mr. Tay’s election, while under an arrest warrant in Hong Kong, would generate “great controversy”. “You can claim the one million dollar bounty if you bring [Joe Tay] to Toronto’s Chinese Consulate,” he added.

NDP candidate Jenny Kwan, along with 13 civic groups representing Canadians of Hong Kong descent targeted by China, have urged Liberal leader Mark Carney to act swiftly to remove Chiang from the Liberal ticket. Speaking to reporters, Ms. Kwan said of the situation, “In what universe is this normal?” [See: Hong Kong-Canadian Groups Demand PM Carney Drop Liberal Candidate Over “Bounty” Remark Supporting CCP Repression]

The London-based human rights group, Hong Kong Watch, has reached out to RCMP Commissioner Mike Duheme in a letter to urge he launch a criminal investigation into Mr. Chiang, stating that his comments may have violated Canada’s Criminal Code and the recently enacted Foreign Interference and Security of Information Act. The group warns that the incident represents a serious international escalation in transnational repression and could constitute a breach of democratic integrity during an election campaign.

“We believe that Mr. Chiang’s comments may cross into criminality and must be investigated by Canadian law enforcement authorities,” the letter states. “Mr. Chiang’s conduct would appear to fit within the parameters of counselling to commit the indictable offence of kidnapping, per Section 464 of the Criminal Code.” [See: London-Based Human Rights Group Urges RCMP to Investigate Liberal MP for Possible Counselling of Kidnapping]

Mr. Chiang, however, will continue as a candidate for the Liberal Party.

Describing the comments as “deeply offensive,” Mark Carney told reporters on Monday that the incumbent MP would not be fired. Mr. Chiang, he said, had apologized and, in defence of his decision, pointed to Mr. Chiang’s career as a senior police officer for 28 years before entering politics. “This is a person of integrity,” who “has family in Hong Kong” and “is under no illusions about the situation there, the situation of broader China,” said Carney.

The decision to stand by Chiang continues to draw criticism, especially given the context of Beijing’s attempts to meddle in Canadian affairs and the serious implications of Chiang’s remarks. The Globe and Mail notes the incident highlights a pattern of Liberal Party tolerance for unethical behaviour for political reasons, as seen with other ministers who faced controversies but remained in their positions. [See: Carney Stands by Liberal Candidate Who Said Conservative Rival Should Be Turned in for Chinese Bounty]

Joe Tay, the Conservative candidate in Don Valley North, does not accept the apology by Chiang and has called for his removal. In a statement to X, Mr. Tay wrote: “Suggesting that people collect a bounty from the Chinese Communist Party to deliver a political opponent to the Chinese consulate is disgusting and must never be condoned.”

In his critique of Mark Carney’s defiance to keep Chiang on, columnist Anthony Furey called Chiang’s years as a police officer in York Region as “arguably” the “most troubling” part of the matter. “Canadian law enforcement should be the last people amplifying bogus foreign extradition requests,” he wrote, adding that “Mark Carney’s mishandling” of the scandal represented “one of the worst cases of poor judgment in recent Canadian political history.” [See: By keeping Chiang, Carney puts China’s values ahead of Canada’s]

Canada’s election threat monitoring body has confirmed that national party leaders received a classified security briefing late last week, amid growing public concerns about threats related to transnational repression and the escalating controversy surrounding Liberal MP Paul Chiang’s remarks about Conservative candidate Joe Tay.

The disclosure was made during a public update on Monday by the Security and Intelligence Threats to Elections (SITE) Task Force. Allen Sutherland, a senior Privy Council Office official and leader of SITE, confirmed that the briefing, which was referenced by Prime Minister Mark Carney, included high-level threat assessments and involved security-cleared representatives from each political party. While SITE did not confirm whether Chiang’s remarks were specifically discussed, the timing suggests they may have been a contributing factor. [See: Parties Received Security Briefing Days Ago as SITE Monitors Threats to Joe Tay, But Says Case Not in Its Purview]